Richard Cockerill admitted Leicester's Aviva Premiership away form "needs to be better" after the league champions suffered a late defeat at Kingsholm on Saturday.

Goalkickers Nicky Robinson and Billy Twelvetrees cancelled each other out with four penalties apiece, but substitute Lesley Vainikolo scored 90 seconds from time to give Gloucester their fourth successive Premiership win.

"We should have played better, there are no excuses," said Tigers rugby director Cockerill after the 19-12 defeat. "It was a game we could have won and we should be better than that."

He added: "Our away form needs to be better, but if you look at it I think we could have won at Wasps and we could have got another point out of it tonight.

"But we are in a good spot. We are not far enough away from the top five to be worried. The roundabout of fate will come back to us at some stage."

Both teams went at it hammer and tongs, and while the skill factor never threatened to hit overdrive, fearless commitment ensured a gripping encounter for a crowd of just under 14,000.

And the victory means Gloucester's unbeaten home run in all competitions stretches back to November 8, 2009 when LV= Cup visitors Cardiff Blues toppled them.

"It was a massive effort," Gloucester head coach Bryan Redpath said. "I said all week it would be a tough, close game, and that was tight.

"We've been criticised in the past for bottling games, having no nerve or steel, but we had to finish that game off and we did."

Redpath also praised the contribution of Gloucester wing Charlie Sharples, saying: "He's a tough lad. His pace is outstanding, as is his defence and work in the contact area. He deserves a lot of credit."

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